Kiwi.com CEO Oliver Dlouhý listed in Forbes 30 Under 30

Founder and CEO of Kiwi.com, Oliver Dlouhý, is named one of Forbes’ European 30 Under 30

Oliver Dlouhý has been named as one of Europe’s most influential innovators by Forbes. The business magazine has unveiled its list of 300 disruptive innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders across Europe who are younger than 30.

Dlouhý, who celebrated his 30th birthday weeks ago, is the founder and CEO of online travel agency Kiwi.com. He was listed for the company’s success and innovative approach towards online travel industry.

The 30 Under 30 Europe list, to be presented in London on Monday, features influential people from various fields of business.

Dlouhý founded Kiwi.com in 2012, and after five years of rapid growth, the company now has more than 1,400 employees in the headquarters in Brno as well as in other branches around the world.

“Kiwi.com is a travel technology company and an online travel agent at the same time. We are focusing on selling flight tickets, and we are pretty much global, and currently, we have more than 1,400 people,” Dlouhý said in a video for Forbes.

“The reason why I started this company is that I am a traveller myself. I love travelling, I used to travel since I was very young. I was unable to find cheap tickets on normal websites, so I decided to build one myself.

Kiwi.com’s founder and CEO Oliver Dlouhý is named one of Forbes’ European 30 Under 30 — Kiwi.com

“The main differentiator is that we have this so-called virtual interlining. It’s something we have invented and pioneered from the very beginning, and it is basically combining flights of carriers which do not cooperate with each other. So you can combine for example Air France with Ryanair, or British Airways with EasyJet.”

On the question about how he perceives his success Dlouhý said: “To me personally, success means just to be happy, doing what I love, and most importantly bringing some value to the world.

“To me being on the list of under 30 is… I’m still not realising it. My mother will be proud of me and I think that’s the most important at this point for me.”

Randall Lane, Editor of Forbes and CCO at Forbes Media, said: “The Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list comprises the most impressive young entrepreneurs that are reshaping Europe, and the world, for the better.”

“In addition to receiving thousands of online nominations, our reporters combed the European continent for leading innovators in all ten fields. Our industry-leading judges distilled the shortlist to 300 outstanding individuals that are changing the world for the better.”